Cotofty



C. A. WUOI'JBURY.

BURSHNG CHARGE FOR CONTAINERS UNEMJED Y0 BE EXPLODED AND PROCESS OF FORMING SAIU cmumes.

APPLICATION HLED AUGJ. H17.

1 ,3 12,4645 Patented Aug. 5, 1919 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

cmo1m-a woonnUnY, oriumnnsrown TOWNSHIP, DELAWARE COUNTY, PENN- ,sYLvA'NLA, sssmiroa To E. I. on PONT DI; nmuouas AND 'ron, nnnswsnn; a conronsrron or DELAWARE.

COMPANY, OF WILMING- nunsrino cannon roacon'rnunnsmrnnnnn To BE ExPLonEn AND ra'ocsss-or "ronmmo SAID CHARGES. I h

To all whomitmay concern:

Be 'trlrn'ownthat I, 'Cmrrono A. l-Vooo- Bunfiof Middletown township, in the count of Delaware, and in the-State of Pennsy .5 vania,"have invented acertain new and useul Improvement in Bursting Charges for "Containers Intended to be Exploded and Processes of Forming Said Charges, and do hereby declare that the following is a full,

1 0 clear, and exact description thereof.

{This invention relates-to a bursting charge forjcontainers intended to be exploded, such as-shells, grenades, torpedoes, mines, etc., and its' object is'to rovidc such abursting chargeivhieh shall lave, among others, the .j dvantages of rendering available new I of raw materials for bursting 'charges for'higli explosive containers and of prov ding a process by which said charge can be cast into said containers and there causedto solidify and. completely fill the space; rovided 'for the charge, and. to such ends t e' invention consists in a bursting charge for containers intended to be ex- 26 ploded, such as shells, grenades, torpedoes,

. mines, etc, andthe process 0f:f0rming said 'charge.

In the accompanying drawing the figure is an axial section of a. shell containing a 30 bursting charge embodying my invention.

e invention is capable of being carried out in difi'erent ways, but for the purpose of illustration only one form of the invention will 'be described herein. In filling contain- 85 ers intended to be exploded, such as shells,

renades, torpedoes, mines, etc, with burstmg charges, it is desirable to introduce the largest possible charge into a given space,

so as to produce the maximum bursting 40 efi'ect. Trinitrotoluol has heretofore been used to a very large extent, because, among other reasons, it has a relatively low melting oint and is therefore easily melted and can be kept melted while being introduced into 46 the shell or other body and does not freeze or solidify until it has reached the. final condition in which it is to remain. The supply of trinitrotoluol. however, may not be. adequate, and it is very desirable to render to other materials available to replace the trinitrotoluol in whole or in part. I have discovered a new bursting charge for the said nurpose, which is of high power; is

Specif cation otLettern 2mm. P t t d Aug. 5, 1919. Application filed August 4, 1917. Serial No. 184,491. a

safe for the urpose; and which bursting charge, -though useful and available when introduced into the shell or other container in solid condition, has ingredients having melting points too high to permit such ingredients as a practical matter to be melted and cast into the shell. I have, therefore,

invented a process by which the said in gredients can, in effect, become part of a molten mass of such low melting point as to be capable of being successfully cast into a shell and which charge has such qualities that it is solidified, is highly ex desire, and is easily detonated; and yet is relative! y safe I under all ordinary conditions other than," detonation.

The 'trinitrotoluol used in my bursting charge ma be either a crude product, such as obtaine by-direct nitration of toluol, or a product obtained by refining the crude product.

My new bursting charge consists of a mixture of trinitnotoluol and picric acid to which mixture may be added, if desired, trinitroxylene. The nitration of xylene is preferably so controlled as to produce a solid, finely divided product;

This bursting charge can be detonated by standard fuses or'primcrs at present in use in shells and projectiles, and has an explosive force substantially-eqmil to that of trinitrotoluol.

In charging a shell, the ingredients may be pressed into the shell in a dry condition making a compact charge which is readily detonated by the usual prin'icr. It is desirable. however, as above stated, to cast the charge into the shell in order to get the maximum possible weight of explosive into the shell. The picric acid and the trinitroxylene, having melting points too high to permit them to be cast under commercial conditions, I have, as stated. invented a process by which the said ingn-dients can, in effect, become part of a molten mass of such low melting point as to be capable of being cast into a shell. '100 The trinitrotoluol is melted and the desired quantity of picric ncid added, keeping the temperature Well above the freezing 'point of the. mixture. I believe the; )lCllO acid virtually goes into solution with the melted trinitrotolu'ol, producing a hon1o eneous liquid, although I do not wish to Ee bound by this expression of opinion.

At temperatures of from 80 to 90C. a

within wide limits without seriously affecting the casting properties; This additional picric acid I believe to remain in suspension in the liquid mixture of picric acid and bination of not more than molten tritrinitrotoluol. I hive found that n mixture of 25% trinitrotoluol and 75% picric acid can readily be cast into a shell or other container.

On addingthe trinitroxylenc to the mixture of t-rinitrotoluol and picric acid, I believe the explosive to be carried in suspension in the liquid mixture of trinitmtoluol and picric acid. The percentage of any one of the ingredients that may be added to the liquid mixture will necessarily va depending upon the fineness of the exp osive and somewhat upon the temperature at which the mixin is carried on.

The f0 owing formula: are typical of mixtures that can be used satisfactorily:

25% to 50% of trinitrotoluol.

757. to 50% of picric acid.

20% trinit-rotoluol.

20% picric acid.

007. trinitroxylol.

33 trinitrotoluol.

33!,{2 picric acid.

331% trinitroxylol.

253); trinitrotoluol.

5017. picric acid.

253% trinitroxylol.

50% trinitrotoluol.

25% picric acid.

25% trinitroxylol.

In the figure of the accompanying drawmg-I have shown more or less diagrammatica 13 a shellbody 1- having within it's bursting charge 2, such as I have described, and having a detonating fuse 3 containing a -detonator for detonatmg the bursting char By the term-container" as used in t e claims is r'nea'nt"a container intended tobe exploded, such as mine, etc.

I claim: I p 1. A bursting .charge comprisin 'trinitrotoluol, picric acid, and rinitroxy ene.

2.'A'=bursting charge comprising molten trinitrotoluol, picric' acid, and trinitrorvlene.

3. A bursting charge comprising-the comhitrotoluol with picric acid and trinitrox- 4. A bursting charge comprising a liquid containing trinitrotoluol having plcric acid dissolved therein and trinitroxylene i'n suspension therein.

5. A bursting charge comprising a liquid containing trinitroboludl having plcric acid and trinitroxylcne insuspension therein.

6. A bursting .char c comprising a liquid a shell, grenade, 'torpedo,

containing trinitroto 110! having picric 'acid dissolved therein and 'picric aqid'and trinitroxylene in suspension therein.

7. A burstin charge comprising a liquid containing trimtrotoluo] having picric acid and tripitrox lene dissolved therein and pic- 4 ric acid an' therein.

8.'A burstin trinitroxylene in suspension charge comprising 207. to

4 50% trinitroto uol. 20% to 50% plcric acid and 00% to 25%.trinitroxylene.

9. A bursting charge comprising trinitrotoluene, picric acid and trimtroxylene, the amount of picric acid'and trinitroxylene being-in excess respectively'of 50% and 10% of the amount of trinitrotol'uene.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto'set my hand.

CLIFFORD A. WOODBL R1. 

